First Light
by Elle Jae
Summary: A story that takes place two years after Breaking Dawn. Renesmee and Jacob have ran away together and Tanya is in serious trouble with the Volturi. Can Edward and Bella's love survive the latest problems?
1. Return to Forks

**Disclaimer: I wish I could say that the characters are mine but sadly they are the creation of the phenomenal Stephenie Meyer.**

**I've decided to write 2 years after the birth of Renesmee. Edward and Bella went to Dartmouth because Bella let slip to Alice how much she had truly wanted to go to college. Edward made sure that she got the chance. I'm no Stephenie Meyer so you'll have to bear with me. I'm writing this purely for my own pleasure but please do review it and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy this first chapter as much as I do. I've tried to keep things the way that Stephenie would. By that I mean there will be no racy sex scenes because I really don't think that Bella and Edward are like that; they're both too shy. **

**By the way, I live in England, so expect to see English spellings of things like realise and centre ... sorry for the inconvenience **

**Keep checking back because there will be more chapters to follow this first.**

"Hey", a voice sweeter than anything broke into my somewhat muddled thoughts. I turned my head slightly to see Edward's anxious, yet still breathtakingly stunning, face. His gentle eyes bore into my own as he struggled pointlessly to read my thoughts. I smiled slightly but I knew that it would not reach my eyes. I wished that we were somewhere else; somewhere more private. I wanted to open up to him like I used to do but it wasn't exactly appropriate considering where we were. New Hampshire felt a world apart from Forks, and I still couldn't come to terms with the fact that _I_ went to Dartmouth. Sat in a lecture, even if there were only 12 other people besides Edward and myself, I didn't think it was the right time for me to pour my heart out. Instead, I placed my hand in Edward's, and squeezed it gently. He knew that I was trying to reassure him but he looked worried and confused all the same. I scrawled a note to him with my free hand.

_Sorry, you know I can't tell you right now. I promise to explain things later, but you have to promise me that you won't get mad, okay?_

He read my note within a second and pulled our clasped hands out from underneath the table. After kissing mine gently, he mouthed, _I promise_.

The remainder of the lecture passed quickly considering my anxiety. As soon as we could leave, Edward all but dragged me onto a corridor, pushed me gently against a wall and leant over me, breathing heavily even though there was no need for him to breathe at all. His glittering eyes flicked up and down my face and I bit my lip trying to contain my desire for him. No matter how long I existed as a vampire, I knew that this nervous trait would exist with me. Edward placed his lips against mine, gingerly at first, as if he was afraid I would react badly, and then becoming slightly rougher when he realised that I would not. After at least five minutes of being in our passionate embrace, Edward finally moved out of it and looked down at me with a look of utmost seriousness on his beautiful face.

"Are you going to tell me what the matter is, love? Or am I going to be made to fret about it some more?" He flashed my favourite crooked smile but it didn't flip my stomach as it normally did. He noticed this and traced his long, white fingers down my jawline. "You drove me mad as a human, Bella. Who knew that as a vampire you'd be a hundred times worse? _Help_ me, love. I don't understand". He had every right to be as confused as he seemed. For the whole of our time so far at Dartmouth (not incredibly long; only 3 months), I hadn't been myself. I knew it upset him to see me in that sort of state and it upset me even more to know that he thought he was the cause of it all. I took a deep breath before I spoke. Like him, I needed oxygen no more than the sky needed stars, but I needed to brace myself.

"I'm going back to Forks". Five words never had so much of an impact on someone. Edward began striding away from me at human speed, so I easily caught up with him once it dawned on me that he had moved. "Are you extremely angry?" I asked timidly. My elegant voice no longer astounded me; I'd 

almost forgotten how I used to practically speak in monotones. I peered round from behind him; he still had his back to me, and watched his expression fade from astounded to almost ecstatic. He turned to face me, no longer working at human speed. Taking my face in his hands, he gazed into my eyes and did the crooked smile again. My stomach flipped worse than normal; obviously compensating for the lack of excitement from me a few moments ago.

"Bella, I cannot tell you how relieved I am that you have said those words. No, I'm not mad in the slightest. Well, not at you anyway. I'm mad at _me_ for forcing you to come here. First I make you marry me, and then I make you leave our daughter and come to college with me. I'm truly sorry, Bella". His words were sad but he couldn't hide the pleasure in his face. I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. Realising what I wanted, he placed his hand round my waist and lifted me up to his level. I wrapped my legs round his hips to make it easier for him to hold me and he kissed me again. I returned it enthusiastically this time. For weeks I'd had the image of my beautiful daughter's face in my mind. I knew she understood but it had felt as if I'd abandoned her. Jacob's face was there, too. Everything he'd done for me, for my family and I'd repaid him by leaving him to go to college. I knew he wasn't bothered in the slightest; he was too content with Renesmee to even notice if I was with him or not, but I longed for my best friend again. Returning to Forks seemed more enjoyable by the minute at the prospect of seeing my family. I'd missed Esme, Carlisle, Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, Charlie and Emmett almost as much as my daughter and if glee was possible to taste, then I sure as hell tasted Edward's as he kissed me. I hadn't known for his desire to leave Dartmouth. A small part of me wondered if he was purely comforting me, but the much bigger part knew that this was what he wanted too. I supposed that after over a century of living with your family, it was hard to get used to a lifestyle where you were completely excluded from them. I pulled away from our kiss after what seemed like an eternity.

"So, you'll come with me?" I knew my eyes were lit up with this possibility. Edward ran his lips down my jaw, placed me on the ground and smiled.

"Love, even if I didn't want to leave, I would go home with you. Christ, Bella, I'd follow you to the ends of the earth if that was where you wanted to be! I love you and I would _never_ leave you". His smile faltered as I winced at his words. Vampire or not, I still had enough human memories to remind me of the time he _did_ leave me. The hole he left would never fade and I felt empty just thinking about those days. Seeing the anguish on my face, Edward held me closer to him than I think I'd ever physically been, and whispered down my ear. I didn't understand what he said because it was so rushed, but it sounded very romantic. I looked up at him questioningly and he shrugged. "Shakespeare was a clever man", he said, so hushed that I wouldn't have heard him had I been human. Edward knew Shakespeare's plays back to front and it made me love him even more every time he quoted them to me. I grinned widely, requesting that we change the subject. He understood immediately and obliged, kissing my nose as if in apology for reminding me. We stood on the corridor, just holding one another, for an immeasurable amount of time. Pressed right up against his chest, with his chin resting gently on my head, I felt elated to think that within 24 hours I would be back in Forks with my family and friends. There had never been a happier vampire than I was at that moment.


	2. Love?

**Disclaimer: Every character belongs to Stephenie Meyer. **

**Okay so Edward and Bella have decided to return to Forks because both of them missed their daughter and the rest of their family. This chapter begins as they walk through the Cullen's front door. Let me know what you think :) Oh yeah- Hera is said to be the most beautiful of all the goddesses, even more so than Aphrodite.**

As we arrived at the Cullen household 15 hours later, Edward proved once again that he was intending to keep his promise to carry me over every threshold. I gazed into his sparkling eyes and saw the relief at being home in them. He smiled; he'd deciphered the exact same from my own burgundy eyes. I'd stuck to the 'vegetarian' diet loyally, but my eyes were taking their time to fade from crimson to deep butterscotch. This didn't faze Edward, though. He admired me at that moment as if I was the goddess Hera herself. Our embrace was interrupted, rather rudely I thought, by an impatient cough. Edward set me on my feet and I saw that Alice was the source of our interruption. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet so ecstatically, however, that I simply could not stay mad at her. I returned her wide smile and her arms were round my neck in an instant. After kissing my cheek breathlessly, she turned to Edward and threw herself at him too. I glanced behind her, where Esme and Carlisle were waiting to welcome us.

"You have no idea how much we've all missed you guys! Even Emmett was at a loss of what to do with himself!" Alice's mood was definitely catching and I almost squealed with delight as I bounded over to Esme and hugged her tightly. She held me just as firmly but I heard a slight whimper escape her lips.

"Bella, darling, I know you're pleased to be home, but _gently_ please. My wife isn't built to deal with the strength of a newborn". Carlisle's soft voice was full of humour as I carefully pulled away from Esme, so as not to hurt her any more than I had. It had been over two years since my transformation, but according to the Cullen's, I was still as strong and as dangerous as I'd been from day one.

For some reason, it took a while for Edward and I to realise that there were a few members of our family missing. Carlisle saw the confused expression on his son's face and evidently answered it with his thoughts. Edward nodded and I refused to be kept in the dark, yet again.

"What's going on? Where are they all?" Panic seemed to creep into my voice. Edward's hand took mine and he rubbed circles into the back of it as if to soothe me. I felt like snatching my hand away but I knew it would only cause unnecessary hurt. I raised my eyebrows at him and he sighed.

"Before I say anything, promise me you won't get worked up?" I was about to protest that if I did want to get worked up then I would do, but I didn't trust myself to speak without losing my temper, so I settled for a nod. Edward seemed satisfied so he gestured for Carlisle to begin explaining.

"Things got ... complicated when you two left. Jacob, of course, kept his promise to protect Renesmee with his life but there's been several ... developments". I could tell that he was reluctant to continue but he also knew that I would not let this go. "Renesmee has admitted to being _in love_ with Jacob". He pursed his lips together as if in absolute dismay at the two words I had dreaded hearing between those two names ever since Jacob had imprinted on Renesmee shortly after her birth. It was strange to think that in just a couple more years, Renesmee would be fully matured and she and Jacob would be able to act on their ... _love_. It pained me to even think of that word now. Edward was evidently thinking of the same thing because he jerked from out of the chair into a standing position as if he'd been electrocuted. I rose with him and took him into my arms. He seemed reluctant to reciprocate at first but then he pulled me closer and stroked my hair. He was evidently as lost for words as I was. Esme was suddenly stood to one side of us, sympathy etched across her lovely face.

"Darlings, Renesmee knows what she's doing. She trusts Jacob as much as the two of you and she knows what he is. He would _never_ do anything to harm her, you both know that. You even said yourself once, Edward, that she could do a lot worse than him". I knew that she was simply trying to help but rage enveloped me and there was a moment where I seriously contemplated hitting her. It would, of course, possibly kill her, so I restrained. Edward didn't seem to be able to think to rationally. His whole body quivered with fury against mine and I wrapped my arms around him, as if to contain him. A growl escaped his lips and for a moment I thought that it was directed at me. Then I saw Esme standing at the other end of the room from us, Carlisle shielding her.

"That's because I never thought it would happen! You _stupid_ woman! Did you just let them walk out of here, hand in hand, to do God knows what together? She might have matured quickly, Esme, but you forget that technically, _she is still a fucking toddler!_" I'd never heard Edward swear before; I'd assumed that he'd been brought in the wrong century to know words like that, but, of course, he lived in this century too. It was apparently Esme's first time too, as she cowered even further behind her husband, a look of absolute distress on her face. I hissed at Edward and he seemed to calm slightly. Turning to me, he looked at me pleadingly and I understood at once. Pulling away from his desperate grasp, I stepped towards Esme and Carlisle with my hands raised slightly.

"Esme, I am _so_ sorry for what has just happened here. Take no notice of Edward, you know as well as I do that he doesn't mean the things he's saying. You must understand that we are fuming at this revelation? This doesn't excuse screaming at the two of you; I know that. I'm going to take Edward to Charlie's house with me. He's been staying at Sue Clearwater's a lot lately so I'm hoping he'll be there now. We'll calm down and come back later to talk this through, _calmly_. I hope you don't think any less of me as a daughter". I hung my head slightly and saw Esme fight away from Carlisle's protective clutches. She approached me timidly and hugged me when she reached where I was standing.

"Bella, of course I don't. I understand your reaction completely; I'd be exactly the same if the tables were turned". Her voice suddenly became harsher as she turned to Edward. "In answer to _your_ question- no, I didn't let them walk out of here. Jacob _took_ Renesmee, Edward. He _took _her from the house while we were hunting yesterday. If you believe for one second that I would allow that boy to walk freely from here with my son's daughter, had I known, then you're not the man I assumed you were". It was Edward's turn to look ashamed. Esme seemed to regret her strict words because her arms were wrapped comfortingly around him before any of us even noticed she'd moved. "Darling, I love you. Go to Charlie's, calm down, and when you return, we can talk this through". Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Edward, Bella, I know you're simply trying to protect your daughter, but you must understand my need to protect my wife. Leave my house please. We will welcome you back with open arms when your temper has ceased, son". It was the first thing he'd said since Edward's verbal attack on Esme and I'd never heard him so solemn. I took Edward's hand and led him away from them, away from the house. As soon as we were on the drive, I reached up to take his face in my hands and forced him to meet my gaze. He was evidently mortified by his behaviour. Even so, he kissed my lips gently, reached for the passenger door of his Volvo and nudged me inside.

Inside Charlie's house, there was no more of the hostile, furious Edward that I'd witnessed a few moments before. _My_ Edward; the loving, gentle man who adored me was back. After checking that Charlie was indeed at Sue's, Edward flopped on the couch and pulled me across his lap, stroking my thigh. He frowned slightly.

"Was I really awful to poor Esme? I don't remember much. I've never lost it like that before". He looked more vulnerable and scared in that second than I'd ever known him to be. I knew immediately what he was hinting at.

"Don't even think like that, Edward! Just because you lost your temper once doesn't mean that you're going to become a wife-beater, or whatever absurd image is in your head. You're _my_ Edward and you always will be. You were just protecting our daughter, that's all. Believe me; I was ready to do the exact same thing". He smiled his crooked smile and began caressing higher and higher up my thigh. It was hard to form a reply to his next question.

"What do we do?"

"We go back and talk things through with Carlisle and Esme, like we said, and then we'll go after Jacob and bring Renesmee back. What the hell was she _thinking_?" Edward laughed.

"She's more like you than you realise, love; I doubt she _was_ thinking". I had to laugh at that too. "Though, we don't have to go back to Esme and Carlisle _right_ this second do we? After all, I haven't made love to you since that free period yesterday. I'm getting quite ... twitchy". His grin was getting more and more mischievous at each word he spoke. I leant over his body and kissed him passionately. We didn't get to Carlisle and Esme's for quite a few hours.


	3. Bella's unwelcome visitor

**Disclaimer: It upsets me to think that I'm not imaginative enough to come up with characters like these in this chapter. Unfortunately, though, 'tis the truth. **

**Sorry guys, I know it's a really slow story at the moment, but throughout the Twilight series, it isn't all action is it? I wanted to give the characters a proper introduction, after all, it's been two years and they're bound to have changed slightly. I promise that things get interesting after this chapter Let me know what you think, please x**

By the time we reached the Cullen's house for the second time that evening, Edward and I were completely calm. Of course, we were both scared to death for our daughter but we knew that screaming at our family was not going to help. Edward threw his arms around Esme the second we arrived and kissed both her cheeks gently. I could see from the look on her face that she'd completely forgiven us both. Carlisle was going to be slightly harder to win over; it was obvious by the way he stood beside Esme, ready to protect her if Edward lost it again. He kissed my forehead, however, and I knew we hadn't been disowned entirely. Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper had returned from an extended hunting weekend and were just as appalled as Edward and I to hear about Renesmee's disappearance. Rosalie was fuming and for a second I thought that she was going to behave as badly as Edward. She held it together though and settled for cursing Jacob under her breath.

Esme gathered us all round there mammoth dining table which I had only even seen used twice before. Edward sat beside me and stroked my hand reassuringly.

"Everything will be fine, we'll find them. _Both_ of them". He evidently added the last part thinking that I was worried about Jacob's welfare too. I almost laughed out loud at how wrong he was.

"The only reason I want him to be found alive is so I can kill him myself", I hissed through my teeth. Edward smiled slightly; he knew as well as I did, that deep down, I would never let any harm come to Jacob. Rosalie was still calling Jacob every name under the sun when Carlisle stood to speak.

"A few days ago, Nessie told Jake that she loved him". I snarled at this but Edward shushed me gently. "He, like the rest of us, assumed that she loved him as a brother. However, it became apparent that this was not the case. Obviously, those feelings are reciprocated very strongly by Jake, so he made the decision to take off with her yesterday, while Esme and I were hunting. Alice followed them as far as Seattle but then lost the trail. We have absolutely no idea where they are now". I felt like screaming at him and by the tension in Edward's shoulders, I could tell that he felt the same. I stood up to speak.

"How can you be so calm about this, Carlisle? My daughter, _your granddaughter_, has been kidnapped! Who cares if it's by someone she _loves_ and trusts? The fact of the matter is that Jacob has taken her without mine or Edward's permission. They're out there, doing things that I do not even want to begin to imagine and you're discussing it like you would the weather!" Edward pushed me back into a seating position and continued for me.

"Carlisle, you know that I have the utmost respect for you, but we _have_ to go looking for Nessie. If this is what she wants, then fair enough, she can stay with him. I know she's safe with Jacob and I know that she isn't foolish enough to get herself in any trouble. But I want to hear this from _her_ mouth and I want to break both his legs for running away with my daughter." Carlisle shook his head sadly.

"There's nothing we can do, Edward. Not for a good week or two anyway. Alice says that tomorrow is going to be the hottest day on record and for 12 days after that ... it's a heat wave". Edward's face fell even more than mine. For the entire time that I'd lived in Forks as a human, I'd longed for even the tiniest bit of sunshine. Now that I was a vampire, unable to go out in the sun in a public place, wanting to search for my missing daughter, the sun would be out all day, every day, for a while.

"Fine, we'll search through the night". Edward silently agreed with me. I saw Carlisle shaking his head again and I wanted nothing more than to hit him. I couldn't believe how calmly he was taking all of this.

"We've thought of this, Bella. Jacob loves Nessie too much to make her run with him all day and all night. They'll be resting at night so that they can both sleep and eat. He can't take her out in the sun either, so for the next two weeks, they'll be sleeping through the day and travelling at night. They must already be at least 700 miles ahead of us, so if we're to make any ground on them, we need to run when they're resting". I was utterly confused. Edward leaned in to me and explained it simpler.

"He means that while the sun is out, they'll sleep because Renesmee cannot go out for the same reasons as us. When the sun goes in, they'll carry on running. If we do that too, then we'll never catch them up. We have to wait until this heat wave is finished and then you and I can run all day and all night to find them. We'll catch them up in no time. Can you wait two weeks?" I hesitated. My daughter, though only alive for 2 years, had the body and mind of a 15 year old; she was not stupid. Jacob towered over her and I knew that he would do anything to protect her. I nodded. Edward stroked my cheekbone gently and breathed something down my ear. The sweet scent of his breath and the silkiness of his voice calmed me at once.

"We'll find her, love. They both know what they're doing; she's safe". I knew this already but to hear Edward whisper it to me in his velvety tones made it more definite. I kissed him and he pulled me from my chair onto his lap. I heard Emmett groan slightly and Rosalie sighed, but I clutched Edward's hard, muscular body as if we were alone in our cottage. He pushed his tongue against my lips and I opened them slightly so that our embrace could become more passionate. I knew that this side of our relationship would never fade and I didn't ever want it to. Eventually I broke away, gasping for air that I did not need. All our family were smiling patiently.

"Okay, we'll wait two weeks. If the sun stays any longer then we will search through the night regardless. I don't expect you to join us, you all have your commitments here; we know this". It was Esme's turn to shake her head.

"Our only commitment is Forks is ensuring the safety of our family. Carlisle and I will help you look; we'll cover more ground that way". I smiled gratefully at her and instantly felt ashamed that I'd had such violent feelings towards both her and Carlisle earlier. Alice jumped up from her seat. She hadn't spoken once since we'd returned and I'd almost forgotten her presence.

"Of course, Jasper and I will come too. You'll see more if I join you". Edward beamed at his favourite sister and I shadowed this. Rosalie looked uncomfortable.

"Rose, please don't feel like you have to help us search just because the others are. It's not your problem at all and Edward and I won't blame you if you stay". Rosalie snorted slightly.

"Bella, you prune! Besides the fact that Emmett and I adore Nessie, we love you and Edward to pieces; your problem is our problem. Of course we'll be joining you all".

"Obviously it will be a great opportunity to teach Jacob a lesson", Emmett growled playfully with a grin that wasn't so innocent. I certainly wouldn't begrudge him that.

Edward and I left for our cottage shortly after that conversation closed. I curled up to him in the magnificent four poster bed, and sighed. He stroked my hair and looked at me questioningly.

"I wish you'd start letting me in your mind a bit more, now you know that you can do it". Yes, I'd learnt how to remove my shield from my mind, allowing Edward to read it, but the things that shot through my head were sometimes more than embarrassing. He smiled as if he'd heard _that_ thought. "What are you thinking right now?"

"I'm thinking that Renesmee will wind up hating me one of these days". Edward made a face as if to say, _don't be ridiculous_. I sighed again and he pulled me closer to him, kissing my head.

"We don't have to go after them if you don't want. We know they're going to be perfectly safe. All I want is to hear her tell me that Jacob is who she wants. I can't settle 'til I know that he didn't force her into this". I was about to tell Edward that Jacob would never do something like that, but I never got the chance. Every single pane of glass in our house seemed to shatter instantaneously and thousands of shards flew at me. Edward pushed me off the bed and lay over me, shielding me from the razor sharp glass that was flying round the room. I rolled out from underneath him; refusing to allow him to take the brunt of this. I crawled across the floor impaling myself with glass as I went. Edward snatched at my ankles to try and pull me back but I knew he'd only get injured if I let him protect me. I screamed as an enormous gust of wind blew into the bedroom causing the settled glass to fly around once again. Edward yelled a warning to me which was little more than a growl now. My ears were ringing from the immense amount of noise but I knew it wasn't over. I continued to crawl through the bedroom and into the huge closet that Alice had insisted I have. I turned, pushing with all my strength against the wind, and searched out Edward. The bedroom wasn't exactly huge, but the elegant cream curtains were in tatters across the floor, as was the bed and apparently every glass item we owned. I saw Edward's terrified face trying to find me and I yelled out to him. He crawled impossibly quickly 

over to where I was cowering and wrapped his arms around me to shelter me from the hurricane that seemed to have hit our home. All of this happened in a matter of seconds. Eventually, the wind died down and the debris settled. I looked at Edward fearfully and he held me tighter; it wasn't safe to move yet. Waiting for something even more unexpected to happen, we watched as a small, trembling figure was all but fired into the bedroom. She slammed against the wall, leaving a huge crack, and slumped on the floor. Without lifting her head off the layer of glass on the carpet, she muttered,

"Edward, Bella- you have to help me. I've angered the Volturi!"


	4. Kate's grave mistake

**Disclaimer: I evidently do not own Twilight or the characters. **

**Thanks for the reviews so far :D They're encouraging me to keep on writing this x**

**I haven't proof read this properly, I didn't have time, so excuse any spelling mistakes please :) **

Watching Tanya straighten up caused me actual physical pain. I saw her smooth, elegant body flex around the room as she came to terms with what had just happened, and wondered whether I should just leave Edward before he could leave me. I owed so much to Tanya; she was one of the witnesses who had played a part in saving Renesmee's life, but seeing her magnificent beauty once again reminded me of why I'd been so intimidated by her in the past. Of course, there were much bigger things to worry about, like the fact that she was stood in mine and Edward's bedroom, glass embedded into every possible area on her body, claiming to be in trouble with the Volturi. She saw where my gaze was aimed and quickly swept the glass away from her skin. I would have winced as a human; as a vampire I knew that she wouldn't have even known the glass was there if I hadn't been staring. Edward pushed me further into the closet and stood dominantly in front of me. I didn't argue with him; he obviously was aware of some sort of danger.

"Tanya..." His voice was barely audible and he spoke incredibly slowly. She glanced up at him from under her lashes as if butter wouldn't melt. The terror she felt was evident in her topaz eyes. "Why are you here?" He continued to speak slowly to her, as if he felt she was mentally challenged. She pursed her lips and I noticed that they quivered.

"The Volturi, Edward. They're coming for me".

It took a long time for Edward and me to coax Tanya out of the house. She was so petrified that she could barely hold herself up, yet she managed to do with some form of loveliness that brought back my jealousy. Carlisle greeted us at the door to the Cullen's house looking more anxious than ever before.

"Is everything okay? Alice said she saw..." He trailed off as he realised who Edward and I were holding up. Esme dashed out of the house to meet us and helped carry Tanya inside. Tanya was muttering to herself as Esme placed her on their leather suite and covered her in a blanket. Carlisle sat close beside her and I looked up to Edward who smiled comfortingly.

"It's okay, love. I don't know what it is that Tanya's done that's so terrible, but there's always a solution, I promise you". I wasn't convinced in the slightest. Edward had made promises concerning the Volturi before and, although he'd always kept them, they were extremely close calls. Esme looked every bit as terrified as Tanya but I could see that she was trying her hardest to hide it. After an hour or so of Tanya simply staring into space and mumbling, she finally said something audible.

"I'm so sorry to have brought this to your door. But you're my family. Please, _help me_". The desperation in her voice would have brought tears to my eyes had I been human. Emmett and Rosalie were stood as far away from Tanya as the room would allow, as were Alice and Jasper. I figured they'd never really forgiven the Denali coven for Irina's betrayal. Tanya wasn't exactly my favourite person, either, but if it weren't for her and her family, I would have had no daughter to search for in two weeks. So I forced myself to swallow any jealousy or resentment and focused instead on Tanya's words. I knelt beside her and Carlisle. Edward moved with me; still shielding me from some danger I was not aware of.

"Tanya, of course we'll help you, but you need to tell us what it is you've done!" Her eyes met mine properly for the first time ever. When she'd looked at me in the past, she hadn't really seen _me, _just Edward's wife. Now that she needed our help, she stared pleadingly at me.

"Bella, it's ... difficult". I think she struggled to say my name without any bitterness. Carlisle shot her a reproachful glance and she knew she had to continue. "It's Kate more than me. She ... she killed one of the wives". My eyes widened in shock, as did Edward's. Esme, Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper all gasped. Carlisle and Alice were the only ones who didn't move.

"Yes. Alice spoke of this to me a while ago. She said she'd seen Kate burning a body in Italy. I think she realised whose body it was, but she didn't admit it to us". Edward's fist clenched next to me. I knew he 

was annoyed at Alice; both because she kept it from us all and because she'd expertly hid it from even him. Tanya nodded slowly. She didn't wait for us to prompt her to carry on.

"Kate was understandably devastated by what happened to Irina- we all were. But it hit her the hardest. Every day she'd talk about getting revenge somehow. None of us thought she really meant it. Then, last week, she went missing. We searched all over but she'd left no trail or anything. Eleazar wanted us to come to you straight away, Carlisle, but I told him to wait. Then all of a sudden, Eleazar was screaming at me and Carmen to go; he knew they'd finally come for us". None of us needed to ask who she meant. "As soon as I'd stepped foot outside the door, the house was on fire. The flames were so scorching that I thought I'd be destroyed just looking at them. I managed to get away, but Carmen and Eleazar ..." She started sobbing tearlessly in Esme's arms. I suddenly felt overwhelming sympathy for Tanya but apparently, Edward did not.

"Tanya, how did you find out that she'd killed a wife?" His tone wasn't gently probing in the slightest; it was harshly interrogating. Tanya's eyes widened and it was obvious she felt Edward's coldness too.

"I heard their screeches as they torched my house. I _think_ it was Caius". Carlisle nodded his head sadly.

"Athenodora. We will pay for that one, Tanya. We will pay for it dearly". I assumed Athenodora was Caius' wife. Edward confirmed this when he saw my confused expression.

"They've been married centuries". He frowned as he realised he'd used the wrong tense. Tanya began shaking uncontrollably and it took all of Esme's strength to hold her still and calm. After a while she stuttered,

"What will happen to me?" Nobody answered her. Carlisle eventually broke the silence.

"The Volturi have claimed enough lives in payment for the loss of Atehnodora's. If they come for you, Tanya, we will make them see this. Caius will not stop until all of your family have paid for Kate's mistake. Aro will not want this; he knows it will cost _him_ just as dearly". I knew that Aro could be reasonable when it suited him. I also knew he could be the exact opposite.

"He won't listen to us Carlisle". Every single face turned to me. I would have blushed if I could. Edward shot a million questions to me with his eyes. "Well, think about it. How many times have they tried to eliminate us? The only reason they didn't annihilate us all two years ago is because there were too many witnesses. Now, though, he has a perfectly good excuse". Comprehension replaced the puzzled looks. Edward took hold of my hand and kissed it gently. He looked round at his family.

"Bella's right. The only thing I think would stop Aro now is ..." All of a sudden, he leant down to my height and kissed me. I reciprocated although I was incredibly surprised at the spontaneity of it. None of our family groaned; they knew why he was kissing me. My human memories were extremely foggy, except those that I'd clung to, but I could remember this kiss as clear as day. It was the way he kissed me when we were about to be separated; when he was about to leave me. I could feel the hole opening up once more. I refused to go through it all again, though.

"No", I hissed firmly. He raised his eyebrows. "You know what I'm talking about. You are _not_ leaving me behind again. Whatever it is that you're planning to do to save Tanya, we're doing it together. Does the word 'wife' mean anything to you?" I knew I was being slightly childish, and I could feel several glares directed my way, but I didn't care.

"Bella, love, I'm not planning to leave you. I was actually going to do this _with_ you, believe it or not. I just don't really know how to ask you". His expression was grave.

"Tell me, Edward. You know I'll do anything for you; anything for our family". Esme muttered something in gratitude and I saw that every single person was gazing at me solemnly; they were not glares that I had felt before. They all knew what Edward was going to ask of me.

"Bella, do you know what Aro wants more than anything?"

"Revenge?"

"Sort of. Think about what he wanted as well as Renesmee's death that time". He didn't want to say it out loud.

"He ... he wanted ..." Then it dawned on me what Aro had wanted right from the beginning.

"He wanted me, you and Alice. Of course".


	5. Sacrifice

**Disclaimer: Obviously Twilight isn't owned by me, nor are the characters; I'm just borrowing them for a while :D**

**America are currently my biggest fans, so thanks :) I had my two minutes silence today by the way, I know that America and England can sometimes be quite callous when they speak about one another, but I think everyone in England had America in their hearts and thoughts today.**

**I don't really like this chapter; it's kind of just like a bridge at the moment, but tell me what you think, please. Again, I haven't proof-read, so any spelling mistakes aren't a result of me being mentally incompetent, don't worry, they're just slip ups x**

Edward wrapped his arms tightly round my waist and whispered in my ear,

"Don't be scared, love. You don't have to do anything you don't want". I shook my head; more determined than ever before to be of some use to my family. In the past, they'd been the ones saving me, and no matter how hard I'd tried, I was never able to help them. This time it would be different. Sacrificing myself to the Volturi was surely more than enough to pay them back for everything they'd done for me. I smiled, more confidently than I really felt, and watched as they all looked utterly perplexed. Tanya suddenly sat bolt upright on the sofa and nodded slowly.

"You would give yourself to the Volturi for me? You would promise to serve them for your entire existence, for _me_?" Her voice was incredulous.

"No. Not for you, Tanya, I'll be honest. I would do it for the people in this room". Esme and Carlisle glanced at one another with smiles filled with sorrow. Alice moved further towards Edward and me, almost dragging Jasper with her.

"Oh, Bella!" She whispered, and if it had been possible to cry, then I think she would have done. Rosalie squeezed Emmett's hand and they too came closer. I looked into Edward's eyes last. He was evidently torn between saving me, or saving the rest of his family. I knew he wouldn't give me up to the Volturi without a fight.

"Bella, please. I know I've given you a choice, but I never thought for a second that you'd ..." He shook his head miserably. He hadn't expected me to be so quick to defend Tanya. It wasn't her I was doing it for, though. I hated the thought of Caius coming to the house, slaughtering the lot of us, and leaving my daughter an orphan. No doubt he would go after her eventually. I hated the idea of allowing my family to wait for their death and knowing that I could have saved them. But, most of all, I hated the prospect of saying goodbye to Edward and watching him walk away from me, never seeing him again. I could not and would not do that. I placed my hands against his chest. He was wearing a grey v-neck jumper that clung to him nicely and I could feel the contours of his stomach. I shuddered as we gazed into each other's eyes; it truly was as if he could read my thoughts and I his.

"If you think for a second that I am going to let you walk out of here and give yourself up to the Volturi without me then you've got another thing coming. I love you more than my own life; I'm not about to destroy myself by letting you leave me again". I regretted my words instantly. It felt as if all I'd been doing for the last few days was reminding him of how much hurt he'd caused me. He hung his head but then was suddenly pressed against my body. He put his hand at the back of my head to cradle it and gently pressed his lips to mine. I moved my mouth with his and I knew it was an apology from him; he'd never forgive himself for leaving me as long as he subsisted. He broke away first.

"You're right, Bella, love. I don't think I could stand to leave you myself. But you do understand what it will entail, right? You know what will happen to us if we agree to go to Volturra with Aro?" I shook my head; I hadn't thought that far on yet. "We'll be part of Aro's guard. More like his puppets, actually. He loves the powers that we have, yes, but not actually _us_. He'd destroy us if we made even the slightest mistake. For instance, if something that Alice sees turns out to be wrong, then he'd obliterate her. If I misinterpret someone's thoughts, or if you fail to shield somebody effectively; we'll be destroyed". He obviously expected me to change my mind, but instead I just swallowed awkwardly and nodded. Tanya was frowning deeply.

"Forget about it Tanya. Bella, Alice and I have made the decision; we'll bargain with Aro and Caius when they come here for you. If we don't, then it isn't just you who they'll kill, trust me". Edward was answering Tanya's thoughts and the rest of us were left looking totally bewildered. "Tanya was contemplating running away". Carlisle spoke for the first time in a long while.

"Ah. No, Tanya, you mustn't do that. Nothing angers Aro more than having to chase after his prey. If you make a run for it, he won't give us any time for bargaining". Tanya nodded in defeat. Emmett also broke his private silence.

"Bella, you know how much I've always adored you; you're like a sister to me, but now I just want to say how much I truly admire what you've offered to do for us all. I know you're doing it so you don't have to be parted from Edward, but it's a hell of a risk and I cannot begin to explain the gratitude that Rose and I feel towards you". I avoided his gaze shyly.

"I think he speaks for the entire family, Bella", Esme said softly. Edward's crooked grin was weak with trepidation as he wrapped one arm round my waist. He turned to Alice, paused for a few seconds and then nodded slowly. I knew he was trying to act inconspicuous; as if he and Alice weren't having one of their immensely irritating private conversations. I made a mental note to ask Edward about it later on. Tanya began pacing the sitting room impatiently, wringing her hands.

"I cannot let you do this. I know I've burdened you with this, but all I needed was a place to hide for a few days. I didn't intend for you to all prepare for your deaths!" I watched Carlisle as he glared at Tanya.

"Tanya, whether it was your intention or not, you have brought this to our house. It is no longer just _your_ problem, so please do not stand there and criticise the decisions that my family are making to save you". His voice was filled with disgust and I couldn't understand what I was missing. What did he mean- criticise? Rosalie answered my silent question.

"Tanya isn't worried that you, Edward and Alice are going to get hurt; she's scared that_ she_ will get blamed if you do. _That's_ why she isn't happy about you going". Rose spoke slowly, ensuring that every word was filled with as much loathing for Tanya as was possible.

"But, how can you know that?" I would have assumed Edward had heard it in her thoughts, of course, but he hadn't spoken a word. It was Alice's turn to answer me.

"I saw Tanya coming to the house a few weeks back. I saw that she would ask for our help. I saw that you, Edward and I would agree to help. I saw that one of us died and that Tanya would be killed by the Volturi. Before they destroyed her, however, Aro reads her thoughts. He chuckles at hearing that she _wants _to die so that we will have to blame Bella, for agreeing that we should help in the first place, instead of her". All the revulsion and abhorrence that I felt for Tanya returned, though this time, it was completely justified. Nobody moved from where they were standing; even Tanya remained rooted to the ground, completely appalled that she had been figured out. Carlisle hissed and it startled me slightly.

"There are far worse ways to die than to be killed by the Volturi, Tanya. If they are still willing, Edward, Bella and Alice will offer themselves to Aro in return for your life and our safety. But heaven forbid, if _anything_ ends badly, you will discover what that death is like". Carlisle sounded full of regret. It scared me slightly because I'd never known his words to be so harsh. Esme glowered defiantly at the seemingly tiny vampire in the centre of the room.

"I think he speaks for the entire family, Tanya". The repeat of her earlier words had the desired effect as Tanya slumped to the floor with her head in her hands.


	6. Bella's task

**Disclaimer: Nothing here belongs to me obv.**

**In case you're wondering, Edward's weakness is Bella. Review please x**

After discovering exactly where Tanya's priorities lay, Edward and I returned to our cottage with Alice and Carlisle in tow. Esme had the unfortunate task of calming Tanya down while we debated how we were going to go about sacrificing ourselves. It was strange to be able to discuss it all so calmly, but for some reason, I was unable to get scared about it. The only thing that truly scared me was that my daughter would grow up with no parents. Of course, I knew that Carlisle and Esme, or even Rosalie and Emmett, would gladly take on Renesmee as their own. It would certainly be an easier option for them than explaining what had happened to Edward and I. So I knew that she would be taken care of, I just hated the thought of never meeting her first boyfriend; never helping her choose an outfit for her first real party; all the things that a mother should be able to do, and I would miss them all. I argued with myself that I _had_ met her first boyfriend, but then I shuddered at the thought of Jacob with his arms round her waist, kissing her passionately. I was also pretty petrified of how easily the Volturi would get to Edward. They all knew what his weakness was, thanks to Aro's mind reading, and I knew that they would use this against him, just as they had in the past. Watching him now as we walked at a human pace to the cottage, panic overwhelmed me as I contemplated what I'd do if he was killed by the Volturi. I wouldn't stay alive myself, that was for sure. His pale face looked slightly gaunt and the shadows under his eyes were becoming purpler by the minute. His eyes were pitch black now; the result of not having hunted in four weeks. We'd been planning to go that weekend, but leaving Dartmouth and hearing all the news had delayed us quite a bit. However, I was faring slightly better. The shadows under my eyes were barely lilac and my face hadn't sunk like his. My eyes weren't black, either, but a fiery scarlet instead. I was still being assured that they would transfer to the topaz and black combination that my family had after a few more hunting trips, but it was extremely difficult to be patient. Edward met my gaze and smiled. His arm was already wrapped around my waist but he pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head.

When we'd reached the cottage, we all took a seat in the dining room. Carlisle was, as I'd predicted, the first to speak.

"You do not have to do this for her, you know". His voice was calm but the resentment from earlier was still apparent. "Believe me, if the tables were turned, Tanya would not be the one sacrificing herself. Eleazar and Carmen would, of course. But Kate and Tanya have never seen us as anything more than distant relatives. The pretences that Tanya has come here under are inexcusable; she does not fear for your lives; she fears for her reputation among us. She doesn't deserve your help". I hadn't expected this from Carlisle. He was normally so compassionate; so empathetic, that I'd assumed he'd say we should do anything to save Tanya, even if she would not return the favour. Edward opened his mouth to speak but Alice interrupted.

"You're right, she's done terrible things, but does that mean that she doesn't deserve to be saved from a death at the hands of Aro and Caius? I would not wish that on even my worst enemy, and believe _me_, I _love_ Tanya compared to my worst enemy. I am willing to bargain with Aro; offer myself in return for Tanya's life. Not only Tanya, but for the rest of you as well. You know as well as I do that Aro would slaughter the lot of you without a second thought". Carlisle thought for a moment and then turned to Edward and me.

"Alice has a very valid point. I suppose it is harsh for me to say that Tanya deserves to die. What about you two- are you really willing to serve Aro in Volturra?" Edward took my hand in his and flashed me his crooked smile.

"As long as we can go together, we're willing to go anywhere. But yes, we will go to Volturra with Aro, if that's what it takes to save your lives".

"And Bella?" Carlisle knew what my answer would be.

"I will go", I muttered simply. I wasn't scared, but I wasn't willing to be enthusiastic about it either.

"Then that's settled then. Alice, what can you see happening regarding this?" Alice deliberated for a moment and then spoke cautiously.

"Aro and Caius will come to our house. Aro will prevent Caius from doing anything because he wants to speak to you first. That's all I can see". She looked appalled at herself; as if this limited vision was 

her fault somehow. "It's susceptible to change, though, so please don't arrange anything based on that ... it's pretty foggy to be honest". Carlisle nodded and spoke to me directly.

"Bella, I need to ask you to do something for us". His tone was soft, friendly, yet impatient; he knew there was no time to waste. I nodded.

"Anything", I mumbled. Carlisle seemed to struggle for words. After a minute or so of silence as he tried to find the best way to phrase it, Edward took over.  
"No, Carlisle. I'm sorry, but I cannot let her do that". I was immediately angered. I hated it when Edward made my decisions for me.

"Yes, I will, what is it, Carlisle?"

"Bella, I'm sorry. Perhaps Edward is right. It wouldn't be safe for you". I shook my head furiously. My throat burned from thirst and it was making me extremely agitated.

"_Tell me_", I demanded, my voice no more than a snarl.

"We'd need some insurance". I think he expected me to grasp what he meant from that sentence, but Edward knew that I wouldn't, so he continued immediately.

"Carlisle thinks that if all three of us go, then Caius is likely to go back on his word and kill the family anyway. If just one of us goes at a time, then he'd be more comfortable knowing that Aro had only a third of what he wanted".

"So he'd _have _to keep you alive, you mean?" I asked Carlisle.

"Yes", he replied simply. Edward span me round to face him. He placed both his hands on my shoulders and ran them up and down, so softly and slowly that it sent shivers of pleasure right down my spine.

"But it's not happening, Bella. Don't even begin to consider it". If I hadn't suspected before that it was me Carlisle wanted to send away first, then I did now. His eyes were full of panic but somehow looked slightly resigned; he knew he wouldn't win this argument.

"Edward, I think she should". Alice's normally song-like voice was no more than a whisper as she defied her brother. Edward didn't reply, he simply squeezed my hand tighter. "Don't get mad, Edward, please. But Aro won't hurt her. He likes what she can offer him too much. He'd take her to Volturra and then we'd give him our word that we'd follow once we've spoken to her. That way, Caius won't be able to touch Esme and the others because he'd be in Italy, and Aro won't allow anybody to harm Bella because he knows we wouldn't co-operate then". I watched as Edward's beautiful face realised that she was right. He leant his head against my hair and whispered in my ear so low that only I could hear him.

"You don't have to, you know. You're doing more than enough already. They won't judge you if you say no". I turned my head and brushed my lips gently across his before speaking to Alice.

"I'll do it". Edward slumped slightly in his chair. Alice smiled sadly and Carlisle's face was torn between regret and fear. "Please don't be scared, any of you. I _want_ to do this. It's the first time in my life that I've been able to help properly. I'll do whatever it is that you need, Carlisle".

"Thank-you, Bella. You do not know how much this means to us all. But it may not even have to be like this. Alice's vision could be wrong; Aro may not give us a chance to plead. Or he may not even take us up on our offer".

"You know that he will, Carlisle. He's wanted Alice and I to join him since day one. He's wanted Bella since that day in the meadow when we were defending Renesmee. There's no way that he'll let Caius jeopardise his chances of us joining his army just so that he can avenge his wife's death". Edward sighed and gently traced patterns onto the palm of my hand.

"Perhaps you're right. I just wish that none of this had to happen at all. I still can't figure out how on earth Kate managed to read Athenodora in the first place. The wives are normally placed under even heavier protection than Aro himself". Carlisle was weary now.

"Yes, well nothing that any of that family has done recently has made sense". Alice sounded bitter and it wasn't hard to understand why. In a few days, her family would be ripped apart thanks to Tanya's arrival. After a few moments of silence, Edward's mobile phone began to ring. He ignored it, obviously thinking it was somebody unimportant. After only a few seconds, the noise of the vibration had annoyed me too much, so I snatched it from his pocket. The caller display simply read: _Unknown_. I flipped it open.

"Hello? Dad?" I gasped as my daughter's voice rang through the phone, clear as day. Everyone turned to look at me.

"No, it's me, Renesmee, _where are you_?" The atmosphere in the room was tense as we all waited for the reply.

"Jacob's in trouble".


	7. Edward's clone

**Disclaimer: Yeahh it isn't mine **

**Things are pretty slow in this chapter and I have to admit, it certainly isn't my favourite, but it explains a lot of things that will happen later on, so it's necessary. Review, please.**

Hearing my daughter's frantic, pleading voice on the other end of the phone terrified me. Hearing that Jacob was in trouble terrified me even more.

"Renesmee, calm down! What is it?" Edward hovered impatiently at my side and Alice stood rooted to the ground in shock; she knew what was coming. I was about to press Renesmee for a reply but the phone went dead. Panic pulsed through my body. Edward felt it and turned to Alice.

"What do you see?" He spoke so quickly that I was surprised Alice took it in. She held up a finger telling us to wait and we did. Eventually, she answered.

"I don't really know. It's not clear at all because, of course, I can't see Jacob or Renesmee properly. But I _can_ see us going to Volturra for another reason than just to make deals". Edward shook his head in disappointment. I was still clutching the phone; desperately wishing Renesmee would phone back. Edward noticed and stroked his hand across my jaw.

"It'll be fine, I swear. We'll have someone trace the number". I pursed my lips together to prevent myself from screaming in anguish. Alice seemed disappointed too.

"I can't figure out why we're there. I think it may be because _we_ don't know exactly. I have a feeling that Jacob's trouble lies somewhere in Italy". I knew they'd heard the phone call; our hearing was much too sensitive to miss even Renesmee's hushed tones.

"Yes, a very dangerous somewhere", Edward muttered to himself. Then he looked down at me and smiled reassuringly. "It will all work out, love". I nodded though I knew he couldn't truly promise that. I flipped the phone open again and stared at the calls list. The word 'Unknown' had never been so unwelcome. I sighed and shut it. Shaking my head in dismay, I took Edward's hand and lightly kissed it, wondering what an earth we would do now. After a few moments, there was a rap at the door. Carlisle was suddenly there, answering it. I'd forgotten that he was there; he hadn't said a word since the phone call. I concluded that it was because he didn't want to get involved in the Renesmee and Jacob situation after what had happened the day before. It was still a strange thing to be a vampire; the days and nights sort of blended into one, and I wondered if I would ever get used to it. After a hushed discussion at the door, Rosalie entered the room with Carlisle walking swiftly behind her.

"We just got a call from Nessie", she said cautiously. My face dropped and I was stood directly in front of Rose before she'd even noticed I'd moved. I placed my hands on her shoulders and she flinched slightly in shock at my sudden contact.

"What did she say?" I demanded, breathlessly. Edward was at my side, pulling me away.

"Calm down, love".

"Sorry, Rosalie, I didn't mean to make you jump". She smiled slightly.

"She called about five minutes ago. I would have come sooner but I didn't really want Tanya to get suspicious. Anyway, she sounded pretty scared, I tried to calm her down but all she kept saying was, '_they took Jake, they _took_ him!'_ Then when I started asking who, the phone cut off". I flipped the phone open once again to look at the recent calls. The 'Unknown' number had called three minutes ago.

"She rang the house before Edward's mobile". It wasn't really directed at anyone in particular. Edward looked as perplexed as me.

"What does shemean?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Rosalie rolled her eyes as we all turned to her questioningly. "_They_ are also sometimes known as the Volturi". She had an expression on her face as if to say '_Duh_'.

"Don't mess with us, Rosalie". Edward's voice was suddenly harsh, foreboding almost.

"I'm _not_, Edward. That's what I think she means". I considered it and was about to shake my head when she continued impatiently. "_Think_ about it! She's just run away with her boyfriend and she knows full well how much trouble she's in. She wouldn't call unless it was an emergency. What other emergency could it be? Jacob's big enough to take on just about anything, except ..." She stopped short and looked around expectantly for us to finish her sentence off.

"The Volturi", Edward grumbled. Rosalie looked smug.

"Will we ever be rid of them?" I moaned. Carlisle grimaced.

"Apparently not, no. But the question now is, what do we do?"

No-one had the answer to Carlisle's question so we kept quiet. Eventually, Edward broke the awkward silence by nudging me gently.

"We need to hunt, love", he said simply. He was right; I knew that my eyes would be absolutely scorching crimson by now, but the thought of leaving the phone unattended was almost as unbearable as the thirst. What if Renesmee called back? Edward read the apprehension on my face. "Rosalie will watch the phone, love". I nodded and we both darted to the window and ran towards the forest. It was noon and people were out walking dogs, but Edward and I moved to fast to be noticed. My hand was in his and he kissed it every few moments as if to comfort my uneasiness. We reached the woods in record time. Walking slower now, I turned to see his black eyes darting up and down my face.

"Has anybody ever told you how beautiful you are?" His crooked smile was teasing. He knew I wasn't a fan of compliments like these.

"If I'm even only one-tenth as beautiful as you are, then I'll believe it". We smiled yearningly at each other and then we darted off in opposite directions to hunt. Tearing into an elk, something dawned on me.

"Edward", I said between chews. He grunted in response; he was too busy with his lion. "Why don't we speak to Seth? Perhaps he can try to get in touch with Jake". There was silence for a while as Edward finished his kill. He came to my side and I expected him to put a hand on my waist as he normally did when we were together, but then I remembered that it would be quite awkward to do while I was eating.

"Carlisle's done that. You noticed our private conversation back at the house, right?" I thought back and then nodded; I'd been meaning to quiz him on that. "Well he was telling me that Seth and Sam had both failed to communicate with Jake. He won't phase in front of Renesmee, you know that, and he also won't leave her by herself to phase privately, which I suppose is a good thing". I finished my own kill and walked with him away from both carcasses.

"Do you think Rosalie's right? About Jacob being in trouble with the Volturi?" He paused, deliberating for a moment or two.

"Yes. Alice is sure that she sees the three of us and Carlisle flying to Volturra. She can't figure out what we're there for, because like she said, we will be going there completely blind so _we_ won't know what we're there for until we actually are. Does that make sense?" I nodded. "She knows for definite that we're not just there to offer an exchange; our services for Tanya's forgiveness and the other's lives, so I think that we'll be there because of Jacob". I almost shivered at the thought of meeting with the Volturi again.

"Does Carlisle still want me to be the first there?"

"No, I don't think that's necessary now. We were going to wait for Caius and Aro to come to _us_, but we obviously won't have time for that now. We'll all go together. At least I _think_ so. I _hope_ so". I looked up and his elegant face, flushed slightly from hunting. He gasped.

"What?" I asked, panicking. He reached out and stroked the hollow underneath both my eyes.

"Our eyes match". A wide smile was spread across his face as he scooped me up into his arms and ran with me to a small stream. The water was clear like the sky and he set me down so that I was able to look into it. It wasn't a perfect reflection, but I could clearly see my sparkling topaz eyes. My mouth hung open as I took them in.

"Can the transformation be so quick?" Edward shrugged.

"I think they've been changing slightly all the time that we've been thirsty, but we never noticed because of how thirsty you actually were". I looked into his eyes and then back at my own. They were exactly the same shade. He noticed the same thing at the same time. "Now _that_, I cannot explain. Possibly because it was my venom that changed you?" He questioned himself, not me.

As soon as we reached the cottage, I darted to the phone.

"No-one rang", said Rosalie moodily. She was obviously as desperate for Renesmee's call as I was. I would have sulked had I not been so stunned by my new eyes. She did a double take. "Oh, Bella!" She gasped. I bit my lip whilst smiling shyly; I was one of them now, _finally_. Carlisle inspected me from the other end of the room to see what had caused Rosalie's impressed outburst. He beamed at me.

"Bella, I'm so pleased for you; I know how much the old colour bothered you". Edward turned to him.

"Look at the both of us Carlisle. Tell me what you see". Carlisle approached us and stopped just inches from my face. He studied my eyes and then Edward's.

"Oh my!" He exclaimed, double checking.

"What is it?" Rosalie asked.

"Their eyes ... are identical".

"It isn't just the colour then?" I didn't know what Edward was talking about.

"No. From what I can see, they have the exact same imperfections too. The changes in shading in different areas are the same as well. I wonder ..." If I wasn't confused before, I was now. Carlisle reached for a torch that was in the drawer of a cabinet. "Stand very close together so that your heads are touching", he ordered. Edward and I complied without demur. He shone the torch in the centre of where our heads joined and gasped at what he saw.

"What is all this about?" I demanded. Carlisle turned off the torch and allowed Edward and I to separate, although we did not move too far apart.

"You've done biology, Bella, so you know that every single person has a different reaction time, even if it is only by one millionth of a second", he explained. "Most people cannot notice this because their eyes are not acute enough. Ours, however, are. Your pupils should have contracted either a fraction of a second faster or slower than Edward's. They reduced at exactly the same time". Edward gave a small gasp even though he must have known what Carlisle was going to explain before the first word was even out of his mouth.

"What does this mean?" Alice was clearly as bewildered as me.

"I'm not entirely sure. You can see that I don't come across this in my every day work".

"So our eyes are exactly the same in colouring, they are the same shape and size, they have the same flaws, and they react at the exact same time?" I was struggling to keep up.

"Yes". Carlisle looked wary, as if this was something to fear.

"Is it because it was my venom that changed her?" Carlisle raised his eyebrows.

"Interesting..." This was the only answer he gave, so Edward translated his thoughts.

"Carlisle thinks that because my venom runs through your veins, it is creating a sort of clone of me". My face dropped and he laughed. "Not a full clone, obviously. But he thinks that we will react at the same time to everything, like changes in temperature, pain and so on". Carlisle smiled but then frowned, as if he'd thought of something else.

"Not possible" Edward assured him, shaking his head.

"Is it not? How do we know? You haven't been hurt", Carlisle answered. Rosalie hissed furiously.

"Will the two of you _please_ explain things to the rest of us?" Carlisle grimaced.

"I was just thinking ... that maybe you will be able to feel Edward's pain, Bella". I scrunched up my face in confusion. It normally made Edward laugh but he was too shocked and defiant to laugh at anything.

"Why though?"

"Well, your reactions are a perfect clone to his, so I was wondering if because your bodies are so similar now and you will share practically the same DNA, you might possibly be connected in some way because of that. We cannot know for sure without a test". I blinked, still baffled by his theory.

"Get a knife, Rose". Edward's command was abrupt and my eyes widened.

"Edward, we don't need to test it, please!" I wasn't scared that I _would_ experience the pain of this; I just did not want him to harm himself. He ignored me and snatched the knife from Rosalie. He looked at me apologetically.

"I'm sorry if you do feel this, Bella. But I doubt that you will so much that I am prepared to take that risk. You know I wouldn't cause you this pain if I thought for a second that you _would_ feel it". I didn't have time to take any of this in as he ran the knife down his forearm. The pain was excruciating. I'd been cut before, of course, but not as a vampire. It took all my strength to resist passing out in agony. He did not bleed and he did not cry out in pain. Instead, his face simply contorted with the pain and it took me a while to decipher the horrified faces around us. Then I realised that it was because my face was contorted in exactly the same way. Edward realised too and he grabbed my arm as gently as he could in his hurry. He tore off some cloth from the curtains and wound it tightly round the gash. The 

pain instantly disappeared. My arm did not numb; there were no blood vessels to cut off. Instead it just felt empty as all my senses cut off. He did the same with his arm and we turned to look at the others. Carlisle's mouth was almost on the floor and Rosalie and Alice had crouched in a corner.

"Bella, are you okay?" Edward asked, his voice pulsing with concern. I nodded. "I'm so sorry, love. I never thought for a second ... I didn't think Carlisle was ... I'm sorry". He hung his head in shame but I lifted it up again and kissed his mouth lightly.

"It's fine", I assured him. "_I'm _fine. We had to test it out, I understand".

"I still shouldn't have-"

"Leave it", I interrupted. "I love you, okay? Whether you unintentionally cut my arm or not". I laughed gently. He smiled back at me.

"I love you too". Carlisle was still clearly astounded but there was something he needed to get off his chest, evidently.

"Never do that again". Even Edward couldn't understand because he pressed him for more. "If the Volturi find out about this ..." I still didn't understand but Edward did. He wound his arm around me tightly.

"If Jane finds out about this, more like". I looked at him and then to Carlisle and back again.

"_What_?" I insisted impatiently.

"It will make things a lot easier for them, Bella". Rosalie extended Edward's feeble explanation.

"It will be like killing two birds with one stone".

**Review please. I normally post a chapter a day, but I'm really busy tomorrow so Chapter 8 may not be done until Monday. Sorry x**


	8. Jasper's secret

**Thanks for the reviews so far. The USA are still my biggest readers with the UK as a close second. So thanks :D**

**I know that a lot of people's favourite character is Jasper, so I've written this chapter to kind of fill in the time it takes to get everything sorted for Italy and to let people into Jasper's head slightly. He's never really mentioned that much in the other books, so I thought that this chapter might explain why he is how he is. Enjoy and review :)**

After we'd tested Carlisle's theory, it was absolute chaos as we booked plane tickets, packed suitcases and frantically tried to reach Renesmee. We were back at the Cullen's house now, and Edward was arguing with the airport. Even when he was angry, his voice was more beautiful than any other sound with the possible exception of his laugh. Carlisle was talking with Alice and I guessed that he was pressing her for more details of our future in Italy. Emmett and Rosalie had gone into Port Angeles to try and contact an old friend who they said would be able to trace Renesmee's call. Tanya was sobbing tearlessly on the sofa but everyone was ignoring her, and Esme was preparing money, clothes and cars. It took me a while to miss Jasper. When the airport put Edward's call on hold, I asked him where he'd got to. He shrugged and bent down to kiss me. The airport must have put him through to somewhere because he suddenly got preoccupied and began raising his voice ever so slightly in stress. I trailed up the stairs intending to go and seek some peace in Edward's room. Walking past Jasper's room, I heard a frustrated snarl. I knocked gently on the door and the snarls stopped abruptly. After about a minute of standing in silence, I timidly pushed open the door. I'd never seen Jasper's room before; I'd been in the one that he shared with Alice, but he had a private one too, and this was it. I'd never known why he needed two. The room was twice as large as Edward's and there were no windows at all. There was no carpet, just bare floorboards and if there was ever any furniture in there, there was none now. There were no light fittings and I would have struggled to adjust to the darkness had I been human. As a vampire, however, I could clearly see Jasper crouched in the farthest corner away from me. I stepped gingerly towards him. At first he cowered further away but then seemed to relax.

"Jasper?" I whispered. I stretched my arm out and he stood up in one swift, fluid movement.

"Bella", he croaked, his voice hoarse. "You shouldn't be in here". I ignored him and continued towards him.

"What is this, Jasper?" He shook his head.

"I can't tell you, Edward would skin me alive". I doubted that very much.

"I ... don't understand" I admitted. Jasper sighed and closed the gap in between us.

"This is where I come to be away from it all". I inhaled deeply as I took in what he'd said and my throat suddenly scorched.

"Jasper!" The scent of human blood was unmistakeable and almost unbearable. He looked away; disgust evident in his face.

"I hate myself for it, Bella. But what can I do? I don't want to be a monster but it's so hard for me to stick to animals for some reason. I wish I could be strong, but I can't. Trust me, it's better this way. It means I'm not hunting in Forks". I was both appalled and sympathetic at the same time. I knew the pain of denying yourself the sweetness of human blood, but I'd gotten so used to it that now it seemed strange to me why all vampires didn't choose this way of life.

"The others?" I didn't trust myself to say anything further.

"They all know. I drink donated blood that Carlisle manages to get from the hospital whenever he can. You drank my entire supply when you were pregnant with Nessie". He grinned sheepishly. "I do hunt animals when I have no other choice, but I cannot stick to it. Sometimes it gets so bad that I feel like just driving around town and slaughtering the first stranger I meet. Carlisle always manages to talk me out of it. He hoped that I'd slowly adapt to animal blood, but it's just got worse and _worse_". His voice was full of disappointment in himself. I took his face in my hands and forced him to look at me.

"Jasper, why did no-one ever tell me? I wouldn't judge you; I know how hard it is".

"Edward didn't want you to know when you were a human because he thought it might frighten you. That's why I always had to keep my distance; Edward can be pretty intimidating when he wants to be, and when he thought there was a possibility of me killing you, he got pretty ... agitated". I knew he'd probably been a bit more than simply agitated. "When he transformed you, he told me to keep it quiet 

still in case you thought of joining in with me. He wouldn't have stopped you, of course, but he wanted you to try and do it their way first". I nodded, understanding.

"Jasper, answer me honestly. _Would_ you have killed me?" He turned his body so that he was facing the back wall.

"Yes. It took everything Edward had to try and prevent me from doing that without actually harming me. There were several fights. I'm sorry". I winced but placed my hand on his shoulder and turned him to face me. His eyes were sad and I knew that he would be crying if he could. I pulled him into my arms and hugged him tightly. We'd never had that much contact before and I think I surprised him as much as I surprised myself. He complied, though, and wrapped his arms around me too. He rubbed my back soothingly. "I'm sorry, Bella", he said, much calmer now.

"It's fine. I think your entire family wanted to kill me at some point". We both laughed at that.

"Promise me that you won't tell Edward, Bella?" I couldn't do that.

"Sorry, Jasper, but if he asks me, I can't lie to him. However, I won't bring it up unnecessarily". He nodded too.

"The two of you amaze me, you know. I'm almost jealous", he winked. I scrunched my face up again in confusion. His laugh was deep and carefree. I'd never seen him like that before. "I wish that I could be as close to someone the way that the two of you are".

"But, you have Alice".

"I know, and I love her more than anything in the entire world. But you and Edward ..." My face was still scrunched. He laughed again. "How you manage to stay beautiful when your face is like that is beyond me. You forget my ability to know what people are feeling, Bella. When I'm in a room with Edward, I can taste that his mood is neutral. Sometimes it's happy, excited, but nothing compared to what he's like when you walk into the room. It was amazing when you were human, but now that you are like us, he doesn't need to be as wary and he can let out how he truly feels. He makes the whole room light up, Bella. It's quite catching really. I can't be in a bad mood around the two of you". I smiled in awe.

"Wow", I whispered simply.

"Yeah, it's mad". He walked away from me, turning to the back wall again as he went. "I'm truly sorry that you've had to see me like this, Bella. I wish I wasn't such a monster", he sighed.

"Don't start!" I commanded. He looked quite taken aback. "I had this all the time with Edward when I was human. You're _not_ a monster!"

"Edward doesn't drink human blood", he shook his head. I was about to argue again when he took my elbow and guided me out of the room. "The plane tickets are almost sorted and Esme's tweaks to the cars should be done soon. You should go, before they get suspicious". He smiled widely. As I stepped on the magnificent staircase leading to the sitting room, Tanya's piercing scream broke through both mine and Jasper's preoccupied lull. We both darted down the stairs faster than was even possible.

**I haven't proof read again, so I apologise if it's badly written.**


	9. The Newborn

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series or its' characters**

Tanya was still screeching as Jasper and I reached the sitting room. She was lay on the floor, her arms raised over her head to protect it; Rosalie was standing over her. The entire house was absolute pandemonium. I'd never seen vampires panic before, but this was definitely what they were doing now. Edward had his arms around Rosalie, restraining her with all his might; Emmett was stood between Rose and Tanya, yelling at Edward; Alice and Esme were both finding towels and bandages; Carlisle was stood over Tanya with his medical bag. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. As soon as Jasper and I saw what was happening, we automatically ran towards Edward to help him restrain Rosalie. I got there faster and I crouched down to stop Rose's legs from kicking. It finally seemed that she was calming down after a few minutes of her furious snarls. Edward was hissing at me to move out of the way; that I was going to get hurt, but I ignored him. Tanya's ear-splitting shrieks were still ringing through the room. Once Rosalie was finished thrashing and Edward was able to hold her alone, I turned to get a look of Tanya. I could not see where her face started. Whatever Rosalie had done, she'd done it pretty bad. Tanya wasn't bleeding; that was not possible, but I knew the pain of having something penetrate our tough skin. Her entire head seemed to have merged into one and her hands were also badly torn from where she had tried to block her face. Edward was still snarling lividly and the sound actually scared me. He dragged Rosalie off to the kitchen with Emmett and Jasper close behind him.

"Watch what you're doing, Bella! Tanya's in shock; she's likely to turn on you", he half yelled, half growled as he left the room. I crouched down next to Tanya just as Carlisle started work on her. He could not give her painkillers; there was nothing strong enough, but he passed her a solution of sickly looking yellow liquid and she drank it down desperately. I didn't dare distract him to ask what it was.

"Tanya, can you hear me?" He asked in his soft voice. It surprised me how he could still be calm. She nodded frantically and he pulled out a steel syringe from his bag. She winced away from him.

"No! Please!" She gasped. He did not hesitate, just simply pressed the needle into her breastbone. She began writhing almost immediately, screeching again. Esme and Alice came in with at least fifty bath towels and laid them all in a square shape in the middle of the sitting room. Carlisle then effortlessly lifted a still thrashing Tanya onto them. That was where she lay for the next seven hours.

Edward was pacing his room, placing his hands in his hair and tugging every now and again. I was sat on the colossal bed, my knees against my chin and my arm wrapped around them. I had to admit that he was scaring me.

"Edward", I whispered. He stopped and came over to me, pulling me into his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. It seems like all I'm doing lately is apologising, but it's all that I can say. Are you scared, love?" His gleaming tawny eyes bore into mine and I completely lost my train of thought. He laughed as I struggled to retrieve my words. "There's no need. Tanya will be right as rain in a few hours, I promise you, Bella". I nodded slowly.

"What happened?" He frowned; he'd obviously been hoping that I wouldn't ask this. "What?" I pressed.

"Well ... Tanya said to me that it wasn't too late to divorce you", he frowned again. "It was me and her fighting originally; I'm surprised you didn't hear us, but then a few seconds later, Rosalie jumped in and said '_This is for Nessie'_. She really went for her". My mouth opened slowly but then I changed my mind. I was going to ask what his reply to Tanya was, other than an attack, but I wasn't sure if I'd want to truly hear the answer. Of course, I knew he wouldn't have agreed with her, but I couldn't risk it. As if he could read my thoughts without me removing the shield that prevented him from doing normally, he bent his head slightly and kissed me. I expected him to stop after a few seconds but I was surprised when he pushed my body off his knees so that he could get a better hold on me. His hands were clenched securely round my arms in a grip so tight that it would have had me yelling in pain a few years ago. My stomach was fluttering rapidly and I could feel my lips quivering beneath his. He pushed me further down onto the bed and ran kisses down my throat. His cool, sweet breath sent me dizzy as he kissed my mouth again. He ran his hands over my stomach and hips and I trembled underneath his touch. Desire was scorching me but then he pulled out of our embrace, panting almost as much as me.

"Bella, you silly girl. I _have_ never and _will_ never want Tanya". I bit my lip, wishing he had carried on. Again he deciphered my thoughts accurately. "You have no idea how much I wish we could. But we should go see how the others are". I sighed and pressed my face into his chest. His arms wound round me and his fingers traced patterns down my spine.

"What has Carlisle done to her?" I asked.

"He's injected her with venom, to help the wounds heal. It will be as painful as the transformation for her". I knew that he was talking about the transformation from human to vampire and I shuddered involuntarily at the memory of the pain. "She'll recover soon".

"And after that?"

"After that, we fly to Italy. Rose and Emmett's friend has my phone and he's going to try and trace the call while we're away. If he succeeds then he'll give Emmett the number who will proceed to give it to us".

"Who's going to Volturra?"

"You and I, of course. And then Alice, Jasper and Carlisle". I was shocked to hear Jasper's name.

"Really? Jasper?" I questioned.

"I wasn't sure either, but as Carlisle says, he's the only one whose powers are unknown to the Volturi. He could prove quite useful". I nodded, understanding. Alice's musical voice chimed up the staircase.

"The flight leaves in an hour and ... Tanya's awake". Edward and I jumped up from the bed and ran to the sitting room where Tanya was lay. Seven pairs of eyes were watching her warily. My own joined theirs as I realised that Tanya would be just like a newborn.


	10. Disgust and Cairo

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series or its' characters**

Tanya's eyes were crimson and I realised just how much more mundane mine had become whether I'd thought so or not. She flexed her fingers over and over, evidently surprised at the strength she suddenly possessed. Edward was rooted in front of me so I had to peer round him to get a better look. She was even more beautiful than before; bordering on Rosalie pretty now. In my confusion, I wondered whether she'd continue to get prettier and prettier if she was transformed over and over, and then I realised that it didn't help any of us whether she did or not. Emmett had brought Rosalie back into the sitting room but he still had an iron grip on her hand. Carlisle was the only one not cringing away from Tanya. He approached her slowly; human speed. Her eyes wheeled to his and for a split second I was terrified that she would attack him. Edward sensed my crouch coming and took a hold on my hand, pulling me even closer to him. Of course, Tanya did not attack Carlisle, but I think she was seriously considering it. After a few moments of a low growl developing in the back of her throat, she composed herself and backed into a corner.

"Leave me. Please! I don't wish to hurt any of you". Even her voice was more elegant. Jealousy raged through me and I was disgusted that I was thinking of myself _again_. Carlisle nodded and smiled broadly to Tanya.

"Of course. I'm sorry that you're having to go through this, Tanya; Rose was out of order. No, she was much, _much_ more than that, but I'll have her apologise in a few hours, when you're ... better". He gestured for us all to leave and we did so willingly. I glanced back at Tanya and deeply regretted it. She was still crouched in the corner but her eyes were gleaming; bloodthirsty. I widened my own eyes and disgust crossed her face. I thought I understood; it was hard being a newborn and believing that you would murder your own family. Then I realised that the disgust wasn't for herself- it was for me. I cringed into Edward's chest and he whipped his head round to hiss at Tanya. It was a truly menacing sound and I knew she would be wishing that the corner would swallow her whole now. I looked up into Edward's eyes and they were deeply apologetic; he was apologising yet again for something that someone else had done. I wondered if he _could_ read my mind now. Normally, he only ever could when I forcibly removed my shield, but recently he'd been answering my thoughts more frequently than my actual words. He led me to his room and we sat down on his black leather couch. Though we were married, I could not think of this as _our_ room. It was still the place he'd brought me all those years ago when we first allowed our feelings for one another to be known, when I was still human. We barely spent any time there anyway. We had our cottage and it's three beds... . While I was fantasising, Edward took my head between his hands.

"Why?" He asked simply. I stared blankly back at him. "Tell me why you keep removing it? Then tell me why you put it back up the minute I find something interesting". My expression must still have been perplexed because he sighed exasperatedly. "Your _shield_," he finished wearily. I gasped; I'd been right before.

"B-but ... I'm not doing anything with my shield!"

"Hmmm". His eyes darted about the room as he considered the possibilities. I remained silent while he did this. When it appeared he'd finished, I spoke again.

"What do you mean that I put it back up when you find something interesting?" He smiled widely.

"Well, before, for example, I was just leafing through an account of what you were doing in Jasper's room, when you shut me out. You do it every time I manage to get in. Quite annoying actually". He really did look irritated which made me laugh out loud.

"Since when, though? When did you realise you could read my mind?"

"When I cut myself ... when we'd made the connection between my pain and yours. It's as if you _wanted_ to share that kind of link with me and so you decided to share another one". He was still grinning at me. Probably more at my confusion, though. "The shield is still there, don't worry. It's stronger than ever. But only when you subconsciously seem to want me out of your mind". I had to smile at that too. Trust me. There was a small tap on the door. Edward glanced to it. "Ah," he said simply.

"What?" I was instantly panicked. With everything that had happened lately, I'd learnt to expect unwelcome surprises.

"Emmett found someone to trace the call from Renesmee". My eyes widened.

"Where? Where is she Edward?"

"Cairo. We think she's with the Egyptians". My frozen heart plummeted as I picture the two vampires I'd met a few years back; the two vampires that my daughter had found interesting.


End file.
